The extra RAM will be a big deal the longer the gen goes on and will address one of the key weaknesses of the PS3. I also think backward compatibility is less crucial than it once was. I can see most people doing the same and hanging on to their PS3s & 360s even if they upgrade.

Is the holiday 2013 release date a rumour or confirmed? And what does that mean..Thanksgiving or Xmas?

It's confirmed.

And yeah, it means either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I think technically, the window is from October to December.